Foot Grips

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a revolutionary new product for walking on hard floors, or in high-heel shoes. This new product turns socks and panty-hose into comfortable gripping footwear, by creating a flexibly durable, and comfortable contact area. It is intended for use on any smooth surface, or inside any elevated (e.g. high-heel) shoe. It increases safety and comfort a great deal, and provides a sense of security and empowerment for the user.

BACKGROUND

Fabric foot garments, such as socks, typically do not provide very good traction. This is especially true for smooth surfaces, like hardwood floors. Nylon panty-hose, as another example, can allow the foot to slide down toward the bottom of a high-heel shoe, causing bunions.

There currently exists fabric footwear that is manufactured with a friction coating (i.e. Plastisol dip), and this type of product can be practical for some purposes. But, these pre-manufactured garments limit the consumer to the styles that are made available by the manufacturer of these special garments. If a consumer does not like the particular styles that the manufacturer makes, then the consumer is out of luck.

Incidentally, the manufacturer is also pressed to make several different sizes of the same style, since one size of heavily coated socks is not likely to fit all.

SUMMARY

The invention is a set of hi-friction pads that are applied by the consumer, to any footwear desired. The pads comprise a layer of rubbery material, such as silicon, polyurethane, neoprene, or so on. One side of each pad is coated with a durable adhesive, which is well-suited for fabric and the pad material itself.

The pads are sized and shaped to cover the areas of the foot that usually make pressure against the floor—or against the inside of a shoe—when standing or walking. They can be applied permanently to a foot garment, or as removable accessories, depending on the type of adhesive selected for the construction of the Foot Grips.

The invention is designed to distribute most of the weight of the user, evenly along the foot. This provides the greatest amount of friction (grip), and allows for great comfort by avoiding the creation of pressure points. The FootGrips are designed so practically, that one set can effectively fit a range of foot sizes.

DRAWING VIEWS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is the side view of a typical sock.

FIG. 3 is the bottom view of a typical sock.

FIG. 4 is the bottom view of a typical sock.

FIG. 5 is the bottom view of a typical sock.

FIG. 6 is the bottom view of a typical sock.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a set of 3 pads that, together, make a FootGrip product. The set comprises a front 11, a middle 22, and a back 33. When sold as a left-and-right pair, the sets can be applied to the soles of a pair of foot garments, such as socks.

FIG. 2 shows the side of a typical sock 40 for a left foot.

FIG. 3 shows the bottom of the same sock 40. Note the outline 41 of a bare foot, which is shown in dotted lines, within the sock. The bare foot outline 41 represents the typical areas of pressure against a surface, when standing or walking. These are the areas that come into contact with floors, shoes, and so on.

FIG. 4 shows the same view as FIG. 3, and is rotated vertically for the viewer.

FIG. 5 shows the product, after it has been applied to the sock 40. The product in this preferred embodiment comprises a front 11, a middle 22, and a back 33. The set of pads is so shaped to cover the majority of the area that normally comes into contact with floors and shoes (not including the toes).

FIG. 6 shows the product, as it is applied to a larger sock 50, on a larger foot. The pads are spaced further apart, on this larger sock. The spacing is represented by the slight gap area 35. Although the pads are spaced somewhat apart, the area of greatest contact is still covered evenly by the FootGrip.

In any embodiment, a means for attaching the pads to the garment (such as adhesive, or Velcro, etc.) is applied to each pad during manufacture, at an appropriate time.

For the preferred embodiment, the pads are die-cut from a sheet of elastomeric material. The thickness for a given set of pads is determined by the thickness of the sheet from which they are cut. The sheet thickness can be selected from range of 0.020″ to 0.250″, or any other desired thickness.

Alternatively, the pads may be molded, to provide additional features such as chamfered edges, textured contact surfaces, or company logos.

Incidentally, each of the three pads that cover the bottom of the foot can shaped so that it is bi-laterally symmetrical, with respect to a midline of the pad itself. This allows any pad to be used on either foot.

In fact, a pad of a single shape (or multiple common shapes) can be made and sold in set quantities, of which the user can apply to a foot garment in any number or particular arrangement, according to his or her needs. 

1. A device for improving the grip for fabric or textile foot garments on hard, smooth surfaces comprising, one or more shaped pads and a means for attaching said pads to said garments. 